Juba — South Sudan and Ethiopia yesterday signed eight memoranda of Understanding at New Sudan Palace in Juba. It was signed after five days of Joint Ministerial Committee meeting of the two countries co-chaired by the two foreign affairs ministers, Nhial Deng Nhial on the South Sudan side and Haile Mariam on the Ethiopian side.

Republic of South Sudan and Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia stressed their continued commitment to strategic partnership and to jointly promote development, peace, security and stability in the region and Africa in general. The memos included the transit and export, communication, transport, education, strategic partnership, capacity building and agreed minutes. The signing of the memos was done by the concerned ministers from the concerned ministries with the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs being the main signatories.

The two parties also noted the ongoing exchange on the dialogue concerning Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), health, environment, energy, science and technology. The Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister who is also the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Haile Mariam appreciated the success of the meeting. He said that they have observed the South Sudanese readiness to strengthen the relationship that exists between them.

Mariam further affirmed that the implementation of the meeting will be seen within six months from now adding that solidarity will see the two countries through given that the two countries all went through agony in the cause of wars.”I am confident that six months from now, we will see the implementation of the agreement,” he said. He also said that they have seen the sentiment of the young nation which they described as promising.

They urged South Sudanese to continue with the spirit and that Ethiopia will always be on the South Sudanese side. At the meeting, the Ethiopian deputy Prime Minister expressed his country’s concern over the outstanding issues between South Sudan and Sudan. On the other hand, South Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nhial appreciated the concern of the Ethiopian government over the post-independence issues between the two countries adding that it is a matter of importance for resolutions to be found in order to bring peace. Nhial described the event as “very significant” in terms of security for the two countries and the region as a whole.

He further said that the agreement provides for making of action plan and that it’s their hope that it will be done soonest. He added that the two countries have established a solid foundation. The two parties reviewed the broad range of areas of cooperation in the fields of political, business, economic and infrastructure, aviation, and to charter out mechanism of future cooperation.